Top 15 'Sensory Reset' Habits to adopt at home for Decompressing After a Day of Screen Time
It's 6 PM. You finally shut your laptop, but the ghost of its bright screen is still imprinted on your vision. Your eyes feel gritty, your shoulders are hunched towards your ears, and your brain feels like a browser with 50 tabs open, all playing different videos. We’ve all been there. This state of digital exhaustion, or "screen fatigue," has become the default ending to many of our workdays. Our senses are bombarded for hours on end with blue light, endless streams of information, and a constant barrage of notifications.
This sensory overload leaves us feeling disconnected from our own bodies and our immediate environment. We’re physically home, but mentally, we’re still tethered to the digital world. The solution isn’t always a dramatic, week-long digital detox. More often, the most effective remedy is a simple, intentional "sensory reset"—a small act designed to pull your awareness away from the screen and back into the physical world, engaging your senses in a gentle, grounding way.
Here on the Goh Ling Yong blog, we champion the power of small, consistent habits to create profound shifts in well-being. A sensory reset is exactly that. It's about carving out a few minutes to consciously decompress and give your nervous system a much-needed break. We’ve compiled 15 simple yet powerful sensory reset habits you can adopt at home to wash away the day's digital grime and reconnect with yourself.
1. Practice the "Window Gaze"
After hours of focusing on a screen just inches from your face, your eye muscles are locked in a state of tension. The "window gaze" is a simple, therapeutic act to release that strain. It’s an expansion of the well-known 20-20-20 rule (look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes), transformed into a mindful practice.
Find a window with the most expansive view you have, whether it’s a bustling street, a leafy tree, or a sliver of the sky. Allow your eyes to soften and travel to the furthest point you can see. Don't strain; just let your gaze rest there. Notice the details you might normally miss: the texture of a cloud, the way the wind rustles the leaves, or the specific shade of a distant building.
This isn't just about your eyes; it’s about perspective. By physically looking far away, you're sending a signal to your brain to zoom out from the micro-details of your work and reconnect with the wider world. It’s a two-minute vacation for your eyes and your mind.
2. Dim the Lights and Light a Candle
Our screens blast our faces with stimulating blue light, which can disrupt our natural circadian rhythms and keep our brains in a state of high alert. One of the quickest ways to signal to your body that the "work" phase is over is to change your environment's lighting from harsh and bright to soft and warm.
As you finish your day, turn off the bright overhead lights. Switch on a warm-toned lamp, or better yet, light a candle. The soft, flickering flame is a primal source of comfort and a perfect focal point for a tired mind. The act of striking a match and lighting a wick is a ritual in itself—a clear marker between your work time and your personal time.
Focus on the flame for a minute or two. Watch it dance and listen to the gentle crackle of the wick. This simple act replaces the aggressive, artificial light of a screen with a gentle, natural light source, instantly creating a calmer, more restorative atmosphere.
3. Listen to an Analog Playlist or Ambient Sounds
Our auditory environment is often as cluttered as our visual one, filled with pings, dings, and the drone of video calls. To reset your sense of hearing, intentionally choose what you listen to. Putting on a record, a CD, or even an old cassette tape introduces a tactile, deliberate element to listening to music that streaming often lacks.
The physical act of placing a needle on a record or sliding a CD into a player is part of the reset. The subtle warmth, crackle, and pop of vinyl can be incredibly grounding. If you don't have an analog setup, you can still achieve this by creating a dedicated "decompress" playlist of instrumental music, like classical, lo-fi beats, or ambient soundscapes.
For an even deeper reset, try listening to nature sounds like rainfall, ocean waves, or a crackling fire. The key is to choose audio without lyrics or complex melodies that demand your brain's attention. Let the sound wash over you, filling the space without demanding anything in return.
4. Practice Mindful Tea or Coffee Brewing
This habit transforms a routine task into a multi-sensory meditation. Instead of rushing through it, slow down and engage with every step of brewing a cup of herbal tea or pour-over coffee. This is a perfect way to decompress and bring your focus back to the present moment.
Pay attention to the sound of the water heating up in the kettle. Watch the steam rise. Inhale the rich, earthy scent of the dry coffee grounds or the fragrant aroma of the tea leaves. If you're making pour-over, watch the water bloom as it hits the grounds. If you're steeping tea, watch the color slowly infuse the water.
Finally, hold the warm mug in your hands and feel its heat seep into your palms. Sip it slowly, noticing the complex flavours. This simple ritual engages touch, smell, taste, and sight, making it a powerful anchor to the physical world after a day spent in the digital ether.
5. Use an Essential Oil Diffuser
Scent is one of our most powerful senses, directly linked to the parts of our brain that control memory and emotion. Using an essential oil diffuser is an effortless way to shift the energy of your space and your mood, signaling a clear transition from work to relaxation.
Choose calming essential oils known for their stress-relieving properties. Lavender is a classic for relaxation, chamomile can ease anxiety, sandalwood is grounding, and bergamot can gently lift your spirits without being over-stimulating. A few drops in a diffuser can fill your room with a gentle, therapeutic aroma.
As the scent fills the air, take a few deep, intentional breaths. Inhale the calming fragrance and, as you exhale, imagine releasing the tension and mental clutter from your day. This practice, as Goh Ling Yong often emphasizes, shows how a small change in your environment can create a significant internal shift.
6. Take a Contrast Shower
If you’re feeling particularly stuck in a state of brain fog, a contrast shower is a powerful physical jolt to reset your entire system. This involves alternating between hot and cold water, and it's a fantastic way to stimulate circulation, awaken your senses, and literally wash the day away.
Start with a comfortably warm shower for a few minutes to relax your muscles. Then, turn the temperature to as cold as you can comfortably tolerate for 30 seconds. The initial shock is intense, but focus on your breathing. Then, switch back to hot for about a minute, and repeat the cycle two or three times, always ending on cold.
This practice is invigorating and forces you into a state of intense physical awareness. It's impossible to think about emails or deadlines when you’re focused on the powerful sensation of the water on your skin. You'll step out feeling refreshed, energized, and completely disconnected from your earlier screen-induced stupor.
7. Knead Dough by Hand
There is something deeply primal and satisfying about working with dough. It’s a tactile experience that requires your full attention and connects you to a timeless human activity. Whether you’re making bread, pizza, or pasta, the act of kneading is a fantastic sensory reset.
Feel the texture of the flour, the stickiness of the initial mixture, and the smooth, elastic transformation as you work the dough. Pay attention to the rhythmic motion of pushing, folding, and turning. This repetitive, physical task is meditative and allows your mind to quiet down.
Plus, the reward is twofold. You not only get the therapeutic benefits of the process but also end up with something delicious to eat. The aroma of baking bread filling your home is its own form of sensory therapy.
8. Do a 10-Minute "Sound Scavenger Hunt"
This is a mindfulness exercise designed to reset your hearing by focusing on the subtle, ambient sounds of your own home—the ones you normally tune out. It trains you to listen actively rather than passively hearing the world.
Find a comfortable place to sit, close your eyes, and just listen for 10 minutes. At first, you might notice the loudest, most obvious sounds. But as you settle in, try to identify the quieter, more subtle noises. What can you hear? The hum of the refrigerator? The gentle whir of a computer fan in another room? The distant sound of traffic? The creak of the floorboards?
This practice pulls you out of your head and into your immediate environment. By focusing on the soundscape of your own home, you become more present and grounded in your physical space.
9. Gently Stretch Your Body on the Floor
After a day spent hunched over a keyboard, your body is craving movement. You don’t need a full yoga class to feel the benefits; a few minutes of gentle, intuitive stretching on the floor can work wonders. This is about reconnecting with your body's physical sensations.
Lie on your back and feel the solid support of the floor beneath you. Start with a full-body stretch, reaching your arms overhead and pointing your toes. Then, gently hug your knees to your chest, rocking side to side to massage your lower back. Try a gentle spinal twist or a simple cat-cow stretch on all fours.
Focus on the sensation of your muscles lengthening and releasing. Don't push yourself into any deep or painful poses. The goal is simply to move in a way that feels good and to bring your awareness back into your physical form.
10. Tidy One Small Surface
Mental clutter and physical clutter are often linked. When your brain feels overwhelmed from a day of digital input, tidying a small, contained space can provide a surprising amount of mental relief. It’s a way of exerting gentle control over your environment, which can be incredibly calming.
Choose one small surface—your nightstand, a coffee table, or the kitchen counter. Don't try to tackle a whole room. Spend just five to ten minutes clearing it off, wiping it down, and arranging the few remaining items neatly.
The physical act of sorting, wiping, and organizing is a mindful, low-stakes task. It provides a clear and immediate sense of accomplishment and visual order, which can help quiet a chaotic mind. Seeing that one clean, clear surface can feel like a deep exhale for your brain.
11. Flip Through a Physical Book or Magazine
In a world of endless scrolling on glass screens, the tactile sensation of paper has become a novelty. Engaging with a physical book, magazine, or photo album is a wonderful way to give your eyes and hands a different kind of sensory input.
Pick up a coffee table book with beautiful photography, an art book, or a magazine. Notice the weight of it in your hands, the texture of the glossy or matte paper, and even the subtle smell of the ink and paper. Slowly turn the pages, letting your eyes linger on images without the pressure to read or absorb information quickly.
This act slows you down. Unlike a screen, a page doesn't refresh, and there are no notifications to distract you. It’s a quiet, contained experience that allows your mind to wander and your eyes to enjoy a different, more restful kind of visual stimulation.
12. Tend to a Houseplant
Connecting with nature is a proven way to reduce stress, and you don’t even have to leave your home to do it. Tending to a houseplant is a simple, grounding ritual that engages multiple senses and fosters a sense of nurturing.
Take a few minutes to check on your plants. Gently wipe dust off the leaves with a damp cloth. Feel the soil to see if it’s dry. If it needs water, enjoy the quiet ritual of filling a watering can and giving it a drink. Notice the vibrant green of the leaves, the texture of the soil, and the earthy smell.
This small act of care shifts your focus from your own digital-age problems to the simple, life-affirming needs of another living thing. It's a beautiful, quiet way to reconnect with the natural world from the comfort of your home.
13. Step Outside for Five Minutes (Barefoot, if Possible)
Even if you don’t have time for a long walk, simply stepping outside for five minutes can completely reset your perspective. The change in air temperature, light, and sound immediately signals a shift to your brain.
If you have a balcony, a patio, or a small patch of grass, step outside. Take a few deep breaths of fresh air. Notice the feeling of the sun or the breeze on your skin. Listen to the sounds of your neighbourhood—birds chirping, distant traffic, children playing.
For an extra grounding effect, take off your shoes and stand on the grass, soil, or pavement for a minute. This practice, known as "earthing," is believed to help stabilize your body's electrical systems. Regardless of the science, the physical sensation of the earth beneath your feet is a powerful way to feel connected and present.
14. Doodle or Sketch without a Goal
You don't need to be an artist to reap the benefits of doodling. The goal here isn't to create a masterpiece; it's to engage in a non-digital, creative act that allows your mind to relax. This is about the process, not the product.
Grab a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Let your hand move freely. Draw shapes, patterns, lines, or whatever comes to mind. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Feel the sensation of the pen gliding across the paper and listen to the gentle scratching sound it makes.
Doodling is a form of active meditation that can help process thoughts and relieve stress without requiring intense concentration. It frees up your mind from the logical, structured thinking of the workday and allows for a more fluid, creative state of being.
15. Prepare a Simple, Aromatic Snack
Engaging your sense of taste and smell through food is one of the most pleasurable ways to decompress. This isn't about complex cooking, but about preparing a simple, sensory-rich snack that requires a bit of hands-on effort.
Think about slicing a crisp apple and smelling its sweet fragrance, peeling a juicy orange and getting the citrus oil on your fingers, or smashing some avocado with lime and cilantro for a quick guacamole. The textures, colours, and aromas are all part of the experience.
Focus on the act of preparation and then savour each bite without the distraction of a screen. This mindful eating practice helps ground you in the pleasure of the present moment and provides a satisfying, tangible end to your digital day.
Reclaim Your Senses, Reclaim Your Evening
The digital world isn't going anywhere, but our ability to step away from it is a skill we must actively cultivate for our mental and physical well-being. Decompressing after a day of screen time doesn't require a huge time commitment or a drastic lifestyle change. It simply requires a few minutes of intention.
Don’t feel pressured to try all 15 of these at once. The goal is to build a small toolkit of sensory reset habits that you can turn to when you feel that all-too-familiar sense of digital drain. Pick one that resonates with you today. Maybe it's the simple act of lighting a candle or the pleasure of stretching on the floor. See how it feels.
By intentionally engaging your physical senses, you are gently guiding your nervous system out of "work mode" and into a state of rest and presence. You are reclaiming your time, your space, and your peace, one small, sensory act at a time.
What are your go-to sensory reset habits for unwinding after a long day? Share your favourites in the comments below—we’d love to build our toolkit together
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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